Through The Years: Oral Hygiene and Teeth Whitening Products
Posted on August 29, 2010 | Category: Featured, Health Trivia
Many people take the humble toothpaste and toothbrush for granted, without realizing the long and storied history behind them. The teeth whitening tips many people use to care for their teeth today have come from over 5000 years of development.
Scientists have discovered that the first teeth care products were made around 3000BC. Our ancient ancestors used twigs with frayed ends to act as toothbrushes, to remove particles of food from the mouth. Called “chew sticks,” these primitive versions of the toothbrush acted on the same principle, with the frayed ends acting as the bristled head.
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, our ancient ancestors also picked twigs with sap that contained natural cleaning and anti-bacterial properties. The sap acted like a natural toothpaste, which helped protect the teeth even further.
However, the first true man-made toothpaste came over 1000 years later. The ancient Egyptians discovered that mixing white vinegar with powdered pumice creates a paste that is beneficial to teeth. Using this in conjunction with chew sticks, the Egyptians were able to clean and whiten their teeth in the same way modern people use toothpaste and toothbrushes.
Eventually, centuries after, someone realized that teeth whitening can be a lucrative business. In the Middle Ages, commercialized teeth whitening was born, and offered by, unbelievably, barbers! Barbers used nitric acid, a chemical that was able to whiten the teeth and clean the plaque on top. Unfortunately, this primitive method had consequences, because nitric acid destroyed the critical enamel of the teeth, eventually leading to the decay of the teeth of many patrons.
Even with the side effects, however, commercialized teeth whitening flourished, until the 1800s when Italian dentists found out that fluoride can give the same cleaning benefits, without the harmful side-effects. This led to barbers being replaced by true dentists, who experimented with fluoride to create many teeth care products. These include honey flavored fluoride lozenges, water laced with fluoride for mouthwashes, teeth whitening gel, and more.
It is from these past attempts that today’s teeth whitening products are based. While modern products are lightyears more effective than the products of the past, the principles are the same.
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